Mitre 10 Cup: Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay claim big opening wins

Mitch Karpik and Fa'asiu Fuatai both scored in Bay of Plenty's huge win over Otago. Photo Getty Images

After a good preseason and being able to field a strong squad, Bay of Plenty were confident of their chances in the Mitre 10 Cup Championships this season.

They've shown that confidence was for good reason, piling on the points in a 50-7 thrashing of Otago in Tauranga.

It was clear early that Otago were going to have their hands full as the Steamers put the pressure on from the outset and opened the scoring in the 13th minute through former NRL player Abraham Papali'i. His was the first of four tries in the first half for the hosts, who took a commanding 26-0 lead into the break.

They didn't relent in the second half, scoring four more tries to reach a half century, while Otago could only muster one through Highlanders back Sio Tomkinson. For the visitors, they'll be thanking the schedule makers that the clash wasn't on home soil, with the Ranfurly Shield currently sitting in Dunedin.

However, it will be on the line next time out and they'll want to improve on the pitch against Southland.

In the later game, Hawke's Bay overcame an extremely slow start to run out 31-13 victors over Manawatū.

Turbos midfielder Hamish Northcott crossed the stripe in the opening minute of the contest with relative ease to put the hosts ahead. It brought the dormant visitors to life and the side's traded blows to head into the halftime break locked at 10.

Whatever was said in the Hawke's Bay sheds at the break obviously did the trick as they can out in the second half to run in four more tries while limiting the Turbos to just a penalty goal and run away with the game.

Bay of Plenty 50 (Fa'asiu Fuatai 2, Abraham Papali'i, Mitch Karpik, AIdan Ross, Joe Webber, Luke Campbell, Jason Robertson tries; Dan Hollinshead 5 con) Otago 7 (Sio Tomkinson try; Vilimoni Koroi con). HT: 26-0

Hawke's Bay 31 (Ash Dixon 2, Brendon O'Connor, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Folou Fakatava tries; Danny Toala 3 con) Manawatū 13 (Hamish Northcott try; Otere Black con pen, Sam Malcolm pen). HT: 10-10